New Mount Henry Bridge opens to traffic

Peak hour traffic is set to flow across the new section of the Mount Henry Bridge tomorrow morning, marking another milestone in the Southern Suburbs Railway project.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said three new northbound lanes were due to be opened overnight, allowing rail corridor works to begin on the original bridge.

“Freeway traffic using the new lanes will be under a 60kmh speed restriction for the next two to three months while final works are carried out on the approaches and the new rail corridor across the bridge,” Ms MacTiernan said.

The Minister said residents of Perth’s southern suburbs had been very patient in the face of disruptions to freeway traffic.

“This milestone takes us a step closer to easing the flow of cars, and the completion of the Southern Suburbs Railway,” she said.

“The railway will service almost 400,000 people - a quarter of Perth’s population - and each year will take the place of some 9.6million journeys by car.

“This is the equivalent of two to three lanes of freeway traffic.”

Ms MacTiernan said the design and construction techniques used on the new bridge helped minimise the impact on both the local environment and residents.

“The original plan called for extra lanes on both the east and west side of the bridge, but Leighton Contractors developed a design involving the construction of only one bridge on the western side,” she said.